Vehicle shock responsive device



` Jan. 3, 1939.

Mineur x.-

c. MULLER `VIETPIICLH*SHOCK RESPONSIVE DEVICE filed July 16 19:56

.7n vena.-

Patented Jan. 3, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application July 16,

1936, Serial No. 90,950

In Germany May 3, 1934 2 Claims.

In power-driven vehicles, such as automobiles, aeroplanes and the like, it is customary to employ electric currents both for illumination purposes and for the ignition in the internal combustion engine, the currents being furnished by batteries or dynamos. On the occurrence of accidents to such power-driven vehicles owing to a collision or impact against a fixed object, the petrol tanks are frequently damaged owing to the shock, and moreover the leads for the electric current are broken, whereby a spark gap is formed between the points of breakage of the leads, and the escaping petrol gases sometimes ignited and thus causes explosions and fires, involving the loss of many human lives.

The invention pursues the'object of removing the cause of such explosions and fires. For this purpose, devices for interrupting the electric currents on the occurrence of shocks have already been proposed, in which a current-carrying weight-loaded rod is provided as a circuit-breaker, which is movably mounted at its lower end and positively supported at its upper end by a helical spring. In the known devices, however, there is a possibility of the switch rod, ejected from its 'positive support by the shock, springing back and re-establishing the broken contact, so that the formation of spark gapsis not prevented. In default of any positive guidance of the switch parts, in this case, adjustment or re-insertion of the circuit-breaker is also attended with considerable difliculties.

The present invention obviates all these drawbacks and consists essentially in that a weightloaded switch lever is connected at its lower end to its contact connection by a universal or balljoint, and engages at its upper end in a dished contact sleeve which is guided with limited play Dn a connecting bolt under adjustable spring-load and is provided'with an insulating ring. In this manner, the supply of electric current is interrupted at the moment of shock, so that any gases liberated by the shock cannot encounter any spark gaps whatever, at which they might be ignited, 'since any subsequent automatic, even brief, closing of the switch is prevented.

The invention is illustrated in an embodiment given by way of example in the drawing. In a housing I of any desired shape, which is provided with any desired fixing means, such as eyes, rings or the like, and with one or more openings which enable the re-insertion of the broken contact, there is fixed at the lower end a connecting bolt 2, which is provided with nuts 3 and washers t, to enable connection of the electric cable. This bolt 2 is insulated from the housing I by a disc 5 and a bush 6, both made of insulating material. The upper end of the bolt 2 is formed as a ball socket 1 which, together with the socket cover 8 screwed or otherwise fixed thereon, forms a spherical space, in which a circuit-closing rod 9 having a spherical end I0 is mounted so as to be universally movable. The free end of the circuitclosing rod 9 is rounded-off. The housing I may also consist of insulating material.

A weight II, which is provided with a central bore corresponding to the diameter of the circuitclosing rod 9, is displaceably or adjustably fixed on this rod by means of the clamping screw I2. The weight I I, however, may also be made in one piece with the rod 9.

At the opposite end of the housing I a bolt I3 is provided, which is'provided with nuts Il and washers I5, which serve partly for fixing the bolt to the housing and partly for connecting the other cable-end. This bolt is also insulated from the housing by the bush I6 and the disc I1 and is firmly held by the nut I8. The end of the bolt I3 which projects into the housing I is threadless and is formed as a guide member, on which a metallic disc I9 and a metallic sleeve 29 are slidably guided. The sleeve 20 is provided with a flange 2I, while the lower end of the bolt projecting beyond the flange has a dish-like recess, in which the free end of the circuit-closing rod 9 engages. The lower end of the sleeve 20 is, in addition, surrounded by an insulating ring 22, which is rmly held by the pin 23, the edge of the ring being slightly rounded-olf. Between the metal disc I9 and the flange 2l, a helical spring 24 is provided, which presses the disc I9 upwards against the nut I8 and the sleeve 20 downwards against the circuit-closing rod 9, so that the latter is rmly held in the position illustrated and thus an electrical connection is established between the two bolts 2 and I3 or between the cables connected thereto.

The possibility of movement of the sleeve 20 in the downward direction is limited by means of a pin 25, which is firmly arranged in the wall of the sleeve and passes through a slot 26 in the lower end of the bolt I3. The bolt I3 has an internal longitudinal bore, in which there is slidably inserted a pin 21, at the lower end of which a bore is provided for the pin 25, so that the pin 21 is rigidly connected to the sleeve 2|! and can move with the latter. The upper end of the pin 21 .projecting out of the device carries an insulating knob 28, in which a bore 29 is provided. The electrical reslltan which Il formed recess4 in the sleeve 20'.

owing to the articulated connection between the circuit-closing rod 9 and the ball socket 1, 8 may be bridged over by a flexible copper conductor,

which is not illustrated. Instead of the ball joint,-

it is also possible, by suitable construction of the circuit-closingrod S, to employ a Cardan joint. The connection of the source of electriccurrent is preferably made at the upper bolt I3 and the connection of the distributing system is preferably made at the lower bolt 2. The threaded part of the bolt I3 with the nut -I8 displaceable thereon allows of suitably adjusting the pressure of the spring 24 and thus the holding power of the contact point.

The operation of the arrangement is as fol- 1oWs:-In the position of rest, as illustrated, the circuit-closing rod 9 is rmly held by the sleeve 20 and the spring 24, so that the electric circuit is closed. Any shocks in the vertical direction, which may be caused by irregularities in the road, have no eiect on the arrangement. If, however, a lateral shock is exerted against the arrangement itself or against the vehicle to which it is rigidly connected, of such violence that the component parts of the vehicle might be endangered, the force of this shock is transmitted to the mass of the vWeight II and brings the end of the circuit-closing rod 9 out of the The rod 9 with the weight I I then tilts over laterally and the circuit is broken. The force of the shock at which the current interruption is to take place can be so chosen, by adjusting the force of the spring 24l and adjusting the position of the Weight Il on the lever-arm 9, that harmless vibrations or the mass inertia arising when starting or braking the vehicle can have no effect on the arrangement.

If the circuit has been interrupted under the action oi a violent shockit cannot close again by itself, since the sleeve 20 and the insulating ring 22 are pressed downwards under the action of the spring 24, and the insulating ring prevents the return of the circuit-closing rod 9 to the circuit-closing position, even if the weight Il Were to rebound or if the vehicle were to tilt over oneven turn upside down. The source of electrical energy remains disconnected under all circumstances and it is impossible for any electric sparks to be formed, which might cause the explosion of any escaping gases. At the same time, the continued running of the motor is also prevented.

If, on the occurrence of a collision, no serious damage has -been done to the vehicle and continuation of the journey is desired, then, after opening the housing I and lifting the knob 28 and the sleeve 20 connected thereto through the pins 21 and 25, the circuit-closing rod 9 can be restored to the circuit-closing position illustrated. For the purpose of facilitating this manipulation, there is provided in the knob 28 a bore 29, to which there may be attached a cord or other pulling member which is mounted at a suitable point, for instance, on the dashboard. By means of this latter arrangement, it is possible to use the arrangement also for the desired interruption of all electric circuits, since, on lifting the sleeve 20, the circuit-closing rod 9 tilts over even without a shock and, thus, disconnects the source of current.

I claim:-

1. A device'for interrupting the electric circuits in power vehicles on the occurrence of shocks, comprising in combination a housing, a contact formingy a universal joint part arranged at the lower end of said housing and insulated therefrom, a current conducting switch lever mounted at its lower end onsaid contact so that it can be moved to all sides and having a rounded upper end, a heavy mass mounted on said switch lever above said universal joint part, a guide member insulated from said housing at the opposite upper end of said housing, said guide member having a slot extending through it near its lower end, a shiftable contact member having a recess arranged to telescope on said guide member, a pin mounted on said contact member extending across said recess and through said slot so as to limit'the movement of said contact member, the lower end of said contact member having a dished recess correspond'- ing to the rounded end of said switch lever, an

insulating ring surrounding said dished recess;Y 0

shiftable contactl member of the switch lever maintained in vertical position by said shiftable Contact member and the pressure of said spring, the shiftable contact member being thereby pressed down by the action of said spring to the full extent permitted by the pin and slot connection, and said insulating ring preventing a re-establishing` of the circuit interrupted by the displacement of the switch lever.

2. A device for interrupting the electric circuits in power vehicles on the occurrence of shocks, comprising in combination a housing, a contact forming a universal joint part arranged at the lower end of said housing and insulated therefrom, a current conducting switch lever mounted at its lower end on said contact so that it can be moved to all sides and having a rounded upper end, a heavy mass mounted on said switch lever above said universal joint part, a guide member insulated from said housing at the opposite upper end of said housing, said guide member having a slot extending through it near its lower end and having a longitudinal bore, a rod extending through said bore, a handle at the upper end of said rod outside said housing, a shiftable contact member having a recess arranged to telescope on said guide member, a pinv mounted on said contact member extending across said recess and through said slot and through said rod, said pin limiting the movement of said contact member, the lower end of said contact member having a dished recess corresponding to the rounded end of said switch lever,`an insulating ring surrounding said dished recess, and a spring adapted to press downwards said contact member, so that horizontally directed shocks on the vehicle eiect separation from said shiftable contact member of the'switch lever maintained 'in vertical position by said shiftable contact member and the pressure of said spring, the shiftable contact member being thereby pressed down by the action of said spring to the full extent permitted by the pin and slot connection, and said insulating ring preventing a re-establishing of the circuit interrupted by the displacement of the switch lever, said handle permitting the shiftable contact member to be lifted through the medium of said rod and pin for the purpose of resetting the device.

CHRISTOPH MLLER. 

